“None of them chose to be addicted or mentally ill, any more than someone chooses to develop cancer or rheumatoid arthritis”

A recent Simon Fraser University study showed that expensive services in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside do not result in improvements in mental health or legal problems for residents of this notorious neighbourhood, often called Canada’s poorest postal code.

To ask, however, why many in the DTES do not get “better” is like wondering why patients keep dying or being sick in our hospitals, despite all the health-care dollars expended on treatment, or why, despite repeated treatment, mentally ill people keep getting readmitted to psychiatric wards.  Read the rest of this article at the Vancouver Sun…

Several recent studies reveal what you say—and how you say it—provide clues about disease

Future doctors may ask us to say more than “Ahhh.” Several groups of neuroscientists, psychiatrists and computer scientists are now investigating the extent to which patients’ language use can provide diagnostic clues—before a single laboratory test is run.  Read the rest of this article at Scientific American…

Dean Purdy, of the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, says about one-third of the inmates in pre-trial custody have mental health problems

METRO VANCOUVER — Earlier this month, accused killer Matthew Kalin Brenner threw himself off the third-floor walkway at North Fraser Pretrial Centre and died. His was the ninth suicide and 14th attempt since the remand centre opened in April 2001. The union representing jail staff says that too many mentally-ill inmates who should be in a medical facility are in jail and not getting the care they need.  Read the rest of this article at the Vancouver Sun…

No dollar figure was set for more federal health funding, but ministers agreed ‘new resources’ are needed

Health Minister Jane Philpott has wrapped up two days of meetings with provincial and territorial counterparts in Vancouver, with the ministers deciding to tackle drug prices, community care and innovation as top priorities. “Today we discussed a plan to work together,” said Philpott. “I am committed to helping bring real change to health-care systems.”  Read the rest of this article at CBC…

SFU launches first-in-Canada PTSD course for first responders https://t.co/emvylKPytK pic.twitter.com/KH5U35ulRh

— CKNW (@CKNW) January 19, 2016